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E. STAHL; METHOD OF AND DEVICE FOR FITTING GARMENTS.

N0. 376, 558. Patented Jam 17, 1888.

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METHOD OF ANDDEVIGE FOR FITTINIGYGAEMENTS. No. 876,558. Patented Jan. 1'7, 1888.

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ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rmcs.

-EDWARD STAHL, OF PRESCOTT, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

METHOD OF AND DEVICE FOR FITTING GARMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,558, dated January 17, 1888.

Application filed June 4, 1887. Serial No. 240,268.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD STAHL, of Prescott, in thecouuty of Yavapai, and Territory of Arizona, have invented a new and Improved Method of and Device for Cutting Garments, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the flexible band to compass thebust. Fig. 2 is asimilar view of the oppositesurface of the said band. Fig. 3 represents the waist strap. 'Fig. 4 represents the neck-strap or collar. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the sliding clips upon the bust'band. Fig. 6 is asectional view of the bust-strap on the line was of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing certain lines upon the form. Fig. 8 shows the method of attaching the pattern material to the bust-band. Fig.

'i9 shows the bust-band and pattern material applied, and Fig. 10 illustrates the method of cutting-the pattern material.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby any person may cut and fit ladies dresses and other garments and always obtain a good-fitting body or waist; and the invention will first be described in connection with the drawings, and. then pointed out in the claims.

The device consists of three principal parts: the bust-band A, the waistband B, and the neckbandql A is a p iable metallic band about an inch wide, and of sufficient length to more than reach once entirely around the largest portion of a ladys bust. Fig. 1 represents what may be called the outer side of the band, and shows that it is crossed laterally by numbered graduating'lines b, and that a line of small holes,-c, runs through its longitudinal center. Fig. 2shows its inner side and exhibits two stationary loops, a a, and two sliding clips, b b. (Represented more clearly in Fig. 5.) Upon the band A is also placed the loose or sliding loop d.

The waist-strap B is made of any suitable material-such as cloth, leather, or some other material. It is graduated by-lateral numbered of which must be of like shape.

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lines 6 e, and has a buckle, e, at one end, and a few holes, 6 at the other. It is about one half inch wide and long enough to reach a little more than once around a persons waist.

The collar 0 is made of cloth or some other suitable material. It is provided on one end with a bucl 1e,f, and on the other with a few holes, f. It is also graduated with transverse linesf and is of a length to reach a little more than once around a persons neck.

A very little reflection will show that, if we take a model of a ladys bust and draw upon it certain lines, like the dotted lines h on the diagram, Fig. 7,then cut pieces ofcloth exactly like the shape of what is shown between the lines, when these pieces arejoined at the edges they must make a closely-fitting garment. Since we cannot, however, have an exact model of every person, let us attempt the same upon the persons self who is to wear the garment. Here we encounter difficulties,principal among which are, first, to find two lines'one upon the front and one upon the back-which shall be exactly in the middle of, or which divide 7 into two equal parts, the surface of that part of the person which is to be covered by the garment. stituting the garment have to be in pairs,each

The second difficulty is in holding or fastening upon the person thepiece or pieces of stuff in such a manner that slight motions of the person will not disarrange one piece while the next one is being cut. These difficulties are overcome by this invention in the following manner, viz:

First, a piece of strong paper or other material, D, Fig. 8, suitable for patterns of a size somewhat more than enough to make one-half of the garment is taken anda straight horizontal line drawn upon it in such a manner that when it is laid upon the person the portion above the line will reach from under the arm to the neck, and the other from just be low the arm down as far as the garment is to reach. Then this piece of material D is sewed or fastened upon the metal band A, as illustrated in Fig. 8, so that the line upon the stuff isjust over the holesc of the band, commencing at the zero end of the latter with one edge of the stuif and letting it run as far as it may This is necessary, as the pieces conupon the hand. Now the upper portion of the material D will be doubled downward and the band is placed about the persons bust just below the arms. The end 1 is shoved through the loops a a upon the opposite end of the band, and when sufficiently tight the end is fastened by means of the little hooksj and the movable loop (I. The band is then drawn around so that the zero-point thereof is just in the line of the persons breast, and held there in place by pieces of twine It being passed through the eyes k of the sliding clips 11 and tied around the shoulders.

Next the waist-strap Band the throat collar 0 are buckled upon the person, so that the zero-point of each shall also be in the middle line of the persons breast, as illustrated in Fig. 9. N ow the zero-points of the three parts A, B, and C having been brought exactly into the middle front line of the person, by dividing the numbers indicated on A, B, and 0 (being the whole measure of circumference of bust, waist, and throat) by two, the middle line of the back of the person is established. Next make a straight out upward through that portion of the piece of stuff D fastened to the band A, which is turned downward at a place just where the cut will meet the armpit. This will form two parts, which can be turned upward. Each can be held separately over the person in such a manner that it will lie smoothly over the form and can easily be cut so that the edges Z at will meet, the armhole-line being indicated by the twine k, which holds up the band A and the throat-line indicated by the lower edge of the collar 0.

Next the portion of stuff below the arms, which has till now hung loosely, is cut, as shown at 0 q r in Fig. 10, and trimmed in a manner that when the edges of the several pieces are brought close together the two edges 7t a touch the front and back middle lines of the person. form. After this the band A is removed from the form, and will then have an appearance somewhat like that illustrated in Fig. 10. Now the pieces 0, p, q, and r are removed from the band and used as patterns for cutting the cloth, allowance being made for seams.

By the prevailing custom of cutting garments from measures it is by merest chance that a garment will fit the first time the pieces are put together, even though the cutting were done by the most experienced cutter, and in a less experienced hand it proves in most cases a very difficult matter to out a well-fitting garment, while an inexperienced hand can do next to nothing in the way of cutting a garment by that system.

By this invention no measuresare taken, and the most inexperienced person can out a set of patterns to accurately fit any form.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The method herein described of cutting garments, which consists in applying pattern material to a bust-band and forming a downfold in the material, and applying the band and material to the bust of the person just beneath the arms, and then cutting the downfold to fit over the shoulder, and then cutting the material below the band to fit the waist, substantially as described.

2. The bust-band A, graduated upon one surface and provided with a series of holes, 0, in combination with two sliding clips, I), having opposite eyes 70' k at the edges, and pro vided with the fastening-cords k, substantially as described.

EDWARD STAHL.

\Vitnesses:

H. A. WEs'r, C. Snnewrox.

They will also lie closely on the 

